Dou Bochang was in high spirits. The moment he returned to the manor, he encountered Master Zhang at the main gate. Contrary to his usual arrogance, the man had greeted him with humble courtesy, even promising to visit another day with generous gifts to express his gratitude.
The Zhang family lived next door to the Dou family. Ever since the Zhangs had produced a favored Consort Zhang, when had that old fool ever looked at him with anything but disdain?
What excited him most was how Master Zhang had flattered him, praising his hard work and achievements, calling him a model official in the court. That position should have been his long ago, Master Zhang had said, assuring him that he would take care of the matter.
After much questioning, Dou Bochang learned that his fourth daughter had saved Master Zhang's young son.
This was a life-saving favor—no wonder Master Zhang was so sincere in his offer to help. This time, it was secured!
Admittedly, his third daughter was the designated Crown Princess, and she had received plenty of rewards, but none of the benefits had trickled down to him.
He could hardly even get an audience with the Crown Prince, let alone secure a promotion.
Today, such joyous news had fallen from the sky—how could he not be elated?
Dou Bochang bowed respectfully to Old Madam Dou. Glancing at Gu Shi kneeling on the floor, he could easily guess she had angered his mother again because of the fourth daughter.
He couldn't help but study Dou Wenyi. Her beauty was radiant, her grace exceptional. Even standing beside Dou Mingyan, she was in no way inferior in presence; in terms of looks alone, she was even more captivating.
One daughter married into the Marquis Dingyuan Manor, another into the Eastern Palace.
The Dou family would enjoy endless wealth and glory!
Dou Bochang was uncharacteristically generous. "So what if a few fish died? I'll apologize to Second Brother myself. At most, I'll get him some rare specimens. Is this worth all the tension?"
Old Madam Dou was taken aback, her prepared reprimands stuck in her throat. Since her son had offered a way out, she didn't need to make things too ugly.
"Gu Shi, you may rise."
Dou Bochang unusually offered comfort. "Fourth Daughter, you've been wronged too. Go back now. No matter how big the problem, your father will handle it."
Madam Gu stood up, her eyes wide with surprise. "Husband, it's not—"
Dou Wenyi wasn't surprised at all. "Father, I'm fine. You don't need to compensate for the fish, because someone stirred up trouble and deliberately killed them."
"What?" Everyone present was shocked.
Dou Wenyi lifted her eyes. "It's simple to verify. Just gut the fish and you'll notice something abnormal. An experienced fish doctor can tell the cause of death at a glance."
In her previous life, such a clumsy trick had easily manipulated them, all because of a timing gap.
Dou Mingyan had deliberately created a series of misfortunes, hinting at them, agitating their nerves, accumulating resentment. Finally, she exploited Yang Shi's maternal anxiety, causing her to lose control and attack Dou Wenyi.
By the time Dou Wenyi came to her senses and wanted to investigate, the dead fish had already been cleared away.
Even if someone noticed something odd, she had already been branded with the infamous title of 'star of disaster'—how could she possibly clear her name?
What she couldn't understand was: Dou Mingyan was already the lofty designated Crown Princess, having stolen their parents' affection. What reason did she have to insist on framing her?
Dou Bochang looked at her with a hint of scrutiny. "Oh?"
Dou Wenyi explained the incident calmly.
It turned out the maid responsible for feeding the fish had been dragged away to play cards, drink, and enjoy herself all day, only rushing back at dusk to feed the fish.
After she finished feeding the fish and had only walked away for a short while, all the fish turned belly-up. They immediately sought out Granny Cao.
Granny Cao led some people to detain the old servant, and fortunately, they also found the remaining fish food, which had indeed been tampered with.
Dou Bochang nodded repeatedly, finally realizing the truth—Gu Shi had been used as a pawn without even knowing it.
Dou Mingyan, unable to contain her fury any longer, exclaimed, "Father, this wretched servant is malicious and scheming, trying to drive a wedge between our families. Someone must be behind her!"
"Who she’s been close to, or which master she serves, must be thoroughly investigated. I’m just afraid the matter might spread too far, and she might falsely accuse others!"
Her words struck a chord, and Dou Bochang’s expression shifted unpredictably.
If they were to investigate thoroughly, it would throw the entire household into chaos, and who knew how many rumors would spread?
They were just a few fish—why risk major losses over something trivial?
Dou Bochang made a firm decision. "Guards, give that servant thirty strokes with the cane, then drive her out of the estate. I’ll send Second Uncle a few fish as a gesture of goodwill. Let this matter end here, and no one is to discuss it privately again!"
Madam Gu softened her tone. "Wenyi, you’ve been wronged. Don’t blame your mother; I still care for you."
Dou Wenyi listened to her insincere "care" without a ripple of emotion in her heart.
If not for her rebirth, they would once again force the label of "star of disaster" upon her.
Gu Shi despised and resented her even more than outsiders!
She would unconditionally favor Dou Mingyan while putting on a hypocritical show of maternal affection in front of Dou Wenyi, all to maintain her dignified image as a noble lady.
Was a flimsy apology enough?
Didn’t she find it ridiculous?
Dou Wenyi replied calmly, "Mother, it’s alright. You were just misled by others’ slander into thinking this matter was related to me. I’m not wronged."
The maid Cuizhi burst into tears. "How can you not be wronged? The bruises from your last beating are still on your legs, and today you almost got beaten again…"
"Cuizhi, be quiet—" Dou Wenyi turned and scolded her.
Dou Bochang’s face darkened. The Zhang family now regarded Dou Wenyi as a benefactor and even mentioned coming to thank her. If they were to find out about this, where would his dignity be?
"Gu Shi, you wrongly accused Fourth Girl without verifying the facts. No wonder she resents it—this is your fault. This household is in chaos and needs proper management."
Madam Gu, who had never been publicly humiliated like this before, felt both ashamed and stifled, murmuring a reluctant "Yes."
Dou Mingxiu, who had remained silent until now, sensed something amiss.
Last time, Fourth Sister endured dozens of lashes without a word, silently bearing the punishment, only for them to realize they had wronged her.
This time, if Grandmother hadn’t arrived in time, would she have been slapped unjustly again?
Why did she provoke Mother’s anger without explaining herself? She could have cleared things up earlier and avoided so many misunderstandings. Was she entirely blameless?
And what about the lychees Xie Guidu sent? If she didn’t speak up, what right did she have to blame others?
The inexplicable guilt in Dou Mingxiu’s heart vanished instantly, though her words had reminded him of something.
"Mother, I believe someone is spreading rumors and stirring up trouble. All this talk about an extremely yin person attracting evil spirits and bringing harm to relatives is nonsense. It’s just charlatans greedy for money, causing all this trouble!"